Bruised by the defection of 11 MLAs so far and indications that more are about to follow suit, the lone opposition in Andhra Pradesh, YSR Congress Party, has apparently started to take some damage control measures.
In a bid to stop further erosion in its ranks, the YSRCP sent its leaders to Vizianagaram district in north coastal Andhra on Thursday to placate two of its MLAs who were said to be ready to jump over to the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
But the YSRC team failed to meet Bobbili MLA Sujaya Krishna Ranga Rao as he was said to be out station.
YSRC president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy sent his key man and co-accused in the disproportionate assets case Vijayasai Reddy and Chandragiri MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy as his emissaries to Bobbili to persuade him against leaving the party.
Sujaya, who hails from the Bobbili royal family, was said to have decided to join the TDP soon. He had been sulking for sometime now following the entry of his b te noire Botsa Satyanarayana into the YSRC.
Saluru (ST) MLA P Rajanna Dora is another YSRC MLA on the list of possible defectors.
Jagan's emissaries met him in his hometown this afternoon and reportedly asked him not to "fall prey to the TDP's inducements".
Talking to reporters later, Vijayasai Reddy said it was undemocratic to cross over into another party after having got elected on a particular party's ticket.
"Those who wish to switch sides should first quit their posts and seek a fresh mandate," he said.